


fall into your blue

by shuturfudge



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Magic, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/M, Galra Keith (Voltron), Happy Ending, I gave Cosmo a friend, Lance (Voltron) is so Pure, Lance Needs a Hug, Lance deserves better, M/M, Magic, Minor Allura/Lance (Voltron), Mostly humor and Fluff, Season 8, Season 8 Fix It, Some angst, farmer lance ~ NOT
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-18 14:45:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16996980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuturfudge/pseuds/shuturfudge
Summary: After the death of Allura - Lance knows he's going to shatter. He knows this now and he knew this going in, because Allura was always going to belong to the sky while he was left clinging to the grass of his childhood. He knew Allura meant inevitable heartbreak and he loved her regardless. What he didn't know was what would happen after.Because Lance Mcclain was never supposed to have magic.-Lance moves to Malibu where he realized being a paladin was just the beginning.





	1. pink carnations stand for remembrance

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm gonna post the next chapter tomorrow!

I had always grown up around fairy tales. Stories with simple plot lines, riddled with happy endings - “The boy saves the princess and they ride off into the sunset” type of stories.

I caught on fairly early that this adventure was not one of those tall tales. Sure the homesickness, tension between my friends, and injuries resolved visually through cryptopods (yet never emotionally to my dismay), was a warning sign. 

But the magic I had experienced outweighed most of my strives. By the time we had reached Earth again, that lingering fear that I wasn’t needed had been reinforced time and time again. I was Lance Mcclain, paladin of not one but TWO magical lions, who had a badass sword, sharpshooting gun, and well-loved rifle - I was someone who belonged to this rag tag space family. 

So maybe life wasn’t the easiest, but some moments were pretty fucking awesome. 

Imagine my surprise when the princess, Allura, agreed to a date with me. I didn’t even have to fight a dragon or die again, which at this point was the weirdest part about this all. Cosmic forces did not tend to sway fate in my favor. Trust me, this theory has been proven.

So I had a heart to heart with my close...person , Keith, before the date. I couldn’t really put a label on who he was to me anymore. I wasn’t jealous of him, or at least the same way I was as a cadet. We definitely weren’t rivals anymore either, seeing as we had adapted to push all that pent up stuff towards more productive means instead of crashing lions and physically headbutting each other. Team mate felt too general. Acquaintance was far too impersonal. 

He was more my person at this point - if that makes any sense whatsoever. 

Anyways, he so totally went on and on about how much I’m worth and for some unconventional reason I believed every word. And as I hung on from every word his lips squeezed out his scar riddled face, I had noticed the sky turning a deep lilac color - a mirage of the eyes peering deep into me.

Which suddenly felt like a bit too much. So I ran, gave him a platonic bro hug and made my way to the date I had been daydreaming of since I stepped foot in the vast blanket of space I had crammed my soul into. 

And she was so fucking beautiful that night. Her pearl like hair and deep caramel skin mirroring my own must have been a desert mirage. 

I told her I loved her. She seemed like she needed someone to love her plainly and purely - and my heart was for the taking. It didn’t even matter if her own heart belonged to another, I was going to take every last drop she gave and worship it like the rain I dreamed of everynight.

That was when she kissed me. It was magic.

I could have ridden off into the night with her right then if she had asked. I would have followed her into a pit if it was her heart’s desire. I just wanted her to feel wholly loved.

Sure the possibility she would break up with me prodded the edges of every conversation, because honestly, she never belonged to my world. See I knew this going in. That was why flirting with her was always so safe, because I was Lance on the ground and she was Allura, my sky, and the sky and the Earth never touched.

Until they did.

So when all the bullshit went down and my girlfriend was suddenly sacrificing herself for some dumbass cosmic shit that seemed to always lace my life, I should have been less surprised.

Because Lance doesn’t get the happily ever after, and I knew this.

What I definitely did not fucking no - nor did anyone think to explain to me properly - was the altean marks that had appeared during our goodbye smooch. Because honestly what the fuck, first I was dragged into space, and then beat up by some purple people and alien babes, and finally after my girlfriend decided to fuck off into cosmic whatever - I find out I’m altean.

While this definitely was not a happily fucking ever after - it was NOT a part of Lance’s tragic backstory. See at this point I was thinking more of the lines of tortured vigilante. Not alien. Never had alien crossed my mind. Batman? Yeah totally I look great in latex and leather.

A day after her “departure”, some concerns are cleared for me as to what the hell is actually going on with my face.

Am I altean? Sort of - I had a recessive altean gene that had to be “awoken” by quintensense. Apparently the Allura gave me some of her soul to state it plainly, which was sorta sweet in a “wow my dead ex-girlfriend is inside of me forever haha” type way. 

Did I have powers? Nobody seemed to know the answer to this one.

Does this make me a member of the “alteans”? Sure seemed like it. Maybe they just liked it when I played guitar in spanish or something because they seemed to like me a lot for a bunch of strangers.

I wasn’t really sure what to do at his point - everyone seemed to have a thing going on while I had a cow, some face paint, and an dead alien girlfriend.

Not the highlight of my existence.  
For some reason the cow part of the statement seemed to stick with me, which was almost funny if I hadn’t felt so strongly about it. 

So a week after her “departure”, the paladins had gathered up as a sort of, I’m gonna go on my own adventure for a bit, YOLO, peace out, conversation. 

Shiro and Keith went first - talking about fixing more problems and being the saviors of the Galra world, while bringing peace to every fucking one. Which was great, honestly. I almost wished I wasn’t so set on resenting the concept of happiness, but the dead girlfriend pass seemed to nestle its way into my head. 

I loved her. She died. I got to be sad now.

Next Pidge went, explaining all these tech plans and a robot named chip. Something about a Rover number 23. Microchips. Gamma somethings put onto fusion whatevers. Making up lost time with her dad and Matt. I was happy for her - her story arch had completed. She went out looking for her lost brother and came home with a complete family. 

Hunk surprised me most. I knew he wanted to cook - that part didn’t dig into me. No what really got my heart pounding and cheeks coloring with selfish shame was the fact he wasn’t going back to Earth with me. He was staying up here and I was going back to the ground alone, where I belonged. Lance Mcclain stays on the ground while the people he loves live in the sky. Typical.

All too soon the heads turned to me. What was the sad boy, Mcclain, gonna do now that his purpose had run dry, had run dead. What was the point of dumb Lance Mcclain if he didn’t have someone to love? 

“And what are you going to do now, Lance?”, Shiro questioned. His voice was laced with a delicate amusement. Don’t push Lance he’ll shatter, he must have thought.

“Flowers.”, I choked. Very eloquent indeed - ah yes Lance the conversationalist back at it. I even noticed Keith quirk up his eyebrow. Great if Keith thinks it’s weird I must have done it now.

I swallowed slowly to regain some ounce of dignity.

“I’m going to go back to Earth and start a garden and maybe a farm alongside it, and I’m going to open a nursery, where I’m going to sell flowers.”, fondness leaked through my voice with every syllable.

“Flowers?”, Keith parroted back.

“Flowers.”, I confirmed.

And I had really led myself to believe that everything was said and done. Sure space family dinners in some not so near future were expected - but what was most definitely not on my fucking expected list was my Altean marks shining brilliantly before a feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

Which makes sense seeing as the only thing Lance Mcclain has a harder time escaping than magic, was himself. So when power sparked at the edges of my fingertips - I should have been less surprised.

Because I was Lance Mcclain, the boy who stayed on the ground, not special in anyway. Or at least I used to be.


	2. sunflowers stand for friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance settles into California and makes some friends along the way

The real story started in California about a year after the “departure” of Allura. It started with Malibu’s sunlight raining down on my skin. I was laying on the back of my surfboard admiring the way the icy blue waves crashed against the rocks.

Seals in the cove were basking in the soft light. The sky was lit in soft pinks and oranges as the sun kissed dawn. It was the first moment it didn’t feel like her fingers were tracing my jaw.

For once - I didn’t feel her eyes piercing down on me. No resentment that I couldn’t save her was nestled into my chest. I could breathe deeply - even with the knowledge something bad was bound to happen quick.

____

I had spent most of my time since getting back to Earth figuring stuff out. What was I to do with my life without her? It was the first time I was resolved to answer the looming question of my future plans. I had announced my life as a farmer or gardener or something before getting ejected out of space, and while it wasn’t so much of a abrupt decision, there were some kinks to adjust. 

First off living in LA with a cow and a ranch wasn’t the easiest thing, sure Malibu had ranches but I had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t in my cards. So I called an ex flame who lived in Mendocino to see if Kaltenecker could stay at his farm. Mendo’ was close enough to visit and had plenty of space, so I felt comfortable leaving Kaltenecker there. It felt a bit bittersweet - everything I had, I had lost or left. I left my family back in Cuba because I couldn’t live with the haunting memories, I was leaving my cow, had left my friends, was left by Her. So another piece tethered to my soul being abandoned hurt. It was my ultimately my decision. 

And so I got a 3 story house near the beach and big glass shop to fill my time in. The house was a renovated craftsman, a mix of soft baby blue wooden edges juxtaposing sharp clear glass looking over the sea. I think it was good for me. I had spent the first leg of my journey in a friendly home filled love and siblings, the next with friends in empty halls riddled with unsaid words, and yet I was never alone by choice.

Around the time Keith left for the blade in the beginning was when I had first experienced this unsettling lonely feeling. It felt like my insides were being rubbed with bleach and purified through a stinging scalpel. Everything was so empty. By the time the places I had lost were being filled once again with mindful embraces and kind words, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have the choice of company. Being able to choose, and letting the incessant voice that told me if people weren’t around it was because I was rotten, letting that voice shut it? That felt great. 

When the house settled under the moonlights gaze, and my throat was all but closing up, was when I realized just because I had the choice to be alone, didn’t mean it was better. I didn’t want a partner of some sort to fill the places she touched yet, because every breath of wind burned each memory. I was so sick of the burning burning burning. But I did want a hug. 

So I drove my heartbroken ass to a dog rescue at 11 am the next morning. The walls of the kennel were cold and metal, and the howls and wales of the pups shattered my resolve “just to look”. No I obviously needed a dog, and I thought a dog might want me. As my eyes scanned the breeds before me, anxiety climbed itself up my throat. They all deserve someone so much. They all needed love. A home to call theirs. Just like me I guessed. Because being alone sucked so fucking much.

In the last cage there was a huge ball of black fur framing a drooling sleepy face. From first sight he was young, maybe a couple of months old, but pretty fucking big for a puppy. The sign in front of his door read, he was an unnamed Newfoundland who had been abandoned after the owners had noticed he hadn’t stopped growing. What was a person to do with a dog who would reach 150 pounds? Assholes. 

And that was it. He was the one. Who else would belong better to the rejected gangly half alien cuban than the abandoned black giant puppy? Match made in heaven. He was so fucking sweet the first night too, every cry I let out was followed with a tongue the size of my nose drooling a puddle of love across my cheeks.

“Heli stop,” I giggled into his thick fur. He just raised his fur eyebrows up to me as if to ask, “Why Leandro?”. 

I let myself fall into him, filling the my scars with a restless puppy. When my eyes finally fluttered closed it hadn’t felt forced.

The next morning I was working on my glass flower shop with newfound comfort. Heli was sleeping in a little ball of fur gracing the sunlight beaming through the windows. Everything was almost ready to open at this point - the flowers were all mindfully laid out on white picnic tables throughout the space, vines were draping from every wall and the ceiling, flowers were blooming in every corner, and the handcrafted desk that sat in the corner was surrounded by tall thick stalked sunflowers. Through the window a sign which read, Leandro’s Flower Shop next to a sign that stated the shop would never discriminate for sexuality, gender, race or more, greeted customers. The only thing left to do was to hire another worker and flip the sign to read OPEN. 

It wasn’t until 4pm that the door whooshed open. The kid standing in the door couldn’t have been more than 15, yet he stood with a confident resolve uncommon in the demographic he seemed to belong in. He looked vaguely asian, with thick black hair piled into a messy bun on the top of his head. His worn out gray jeans were paired with a black tattered ban tee, and slightly fucked up checkered vans. The aesthetic he clung to was a vague mix of his younger brother and Keith. 

“Hey, are you looking for someone to mind the desk or something? You just moved in and I haven’t seen any Hiring signs but I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask.”, he mumbled a bit at the end, but his intentions were clearly received.

“Yo um, how old are you? I really need someone who can work a shift in the afternoon and sometimes the evening. During the summer I’ll have to hire another person for sure but I think I can get by with that for now. I’m Lanc-Leandro by the way.”

“Roman Park, and I’m 15. I have school until 2 - so those hours would work for me. I used to work at the coffee shop down the street cuz’ my sister owns it, but it’s not really my thing.”

“When can ya’ start?”

“Is tomorrow too soon?”

“Tomorrow is perfect! Thanks, oh um if you need another worker I have a twin brother who’s gonna be so jealous I got this job?”

“You can bring him tomorrow and I’ll show you guys what the job entails -”

“Thanks! You won’t regret it!”, and he was off.

As the door jangled shut I turned my eyes to Heli, returning her questioning gaze with a soft smile. The next day I showed Roman and his brother, Neptune, the gist of the job. Neptune’s hair was considerably shorter than his brother’s, and he dressed in a casual pair of fabric shorts and floral sweatshirt. He was much more relaxed in general than his sibling. 

From that day on, they showed up everyday after school. A sort of routine was becoming ingrained into the veins of his schedule. Wake up. Surf. Walk Heli. Go to the shop. Go the coffee shop. Flower shop until closing. And then napping with Heli on my worn out leather couch as we watched the stars. 

During these moments music drifted through the living room as the stars danced. Sometimes one of my surfing buddies would text me. Normally it was about the tides and weather forecast for the next day, which at first I thought was just a stepping stone towards a deeper friendship or something, but no. 

It was 8th months into my schedule when I had decided to check the Voltron comm for the first time. Which was terrifying seeing as an active group chat was flooding the messages. 

CHAT LOG

Pidgey, MATHEMATICS HOLT, Dad, HunkofLove, RoM, CoranTGM, SHAY-meless, KROLIA, BlckPldn, lance

Pidgey: It’s been 8 months - like I know he’s alive and all but has anyone heard from him?

Dad: Katie give him time and space, that’s what he asked for

MATHEMATICS HOLT: maybe we should..

Dad: ?

HunkofLove: Maybe we should visit Earth, you know Lance he’ll totally let us stay with him

BlckPldn: Stay with him where? Do we even know where he is?

Pidgey: I know where everyone is. Always.

KROLIA: sure you do

BlckPldn: I was thinking more along the lines of creepy, but sureeee 

Pidgey: No but really what if we did - I know were all busy and stuff but I’m free in a couple of months

MATHEMATICS HOLT: then let’s do it

BlckPldn: Let’s go home

I mostly skimmed through the last months messages, ignoring the “LANCE WHERE THE and WHAT THE FUCK IS UP???”, and went straight to the last message.   
Dad: Is that okay with you Lance?

The tension that had once made its home in my stomach nestled back in because - they were coming. The paladins were coming back to Earth and they were staying with Lance, with ME. Which was great in all if not for the total silence on his end of the comm and the foreboding fear that something was definitely going to go wrong.

Lance has opened the chat

Lance: erm yeah totally

Which makes sense seeing as his friends who lived in the sky were going to touch the Earth once again - which just reaked of OH SHIT SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG.

And why when on the day the paladins were returning to him, when his alteans marks sparked a brilliant blue surrounded by the ocean, he should have been less surprised.


	3. sedums stand for a bond of affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More friends and touch bit of magic

Liam had come out with me that morning. At 5 am, he had pulled his maroon Jeep Wrangler into my garage. 

He had never been on his surfer friend list. Liam was like a brother to him at this point. Friday mornings were for him and Liam on the deep ocean blue - testing each other to push further. Sometimes on Saturday’s Liam, Roman, Allie and Venus would catch the day break with him. 

Venus owned the coffee shop he frequented, and her little brother Roman (and his current employee), was really into surfing. Liam’s girlfriend Allie had insane technique too. She was all about riding each break to the edge - flying through the air like a pilot. On Monday’s Allie would come out and beat his ass into the tide with her wicked teasing. She was almost as bad as Liam.

Still, Liam was a really good guy. He was built like Shiro - tall and strong, muscles well used under the tides. His skin tone was similar to Hunks, a deep mocha, and his hair was dyed a brilliant sapphire. The first thing people noticed about him was his eyes, painted such a pale gray, they might have well of bled a rich white. 

___

I had met him out on the waves one morning and had refrained from bugging him, mostly because he was both a miraculously talented surfer and extremely attractive, that was until he had yelled, “DUDE IS THAT YOUR DOG?”.

And sure enough their sat Heli, paws crossed as he stretched his body across the sand. Maybe it wasn’t that common to let your dog come to the beach with you while you surfed, but Heli loved the water. Sometimes he would sit on my board as I swam out past the breaking waves on the longboard I had started out with as a beginner.

“Uh - Yeah that’s my dog, dude.”

“Holy fuck I thought it was a bear.”, relief spilled across his masculine features.

Honestly that was all it had taken for me to want to be his friend. Later that morning he had sat on the beach with me, telling me stories about growing up and how he had come to Malibu.

“Okay so I was born in San Diego - ya know - like Coronada and such? Whatever, I had come out here to be like a professional surfer or something but have you seen these guys out here? Like some of the surfers are so fuckin’ good and I’m like amazing and stuff but fuck, dude.”

“So is that what you do? Like surf?”

“Nah dude my cousin owns this coffee shop called Beans & Roses? Anyways it’s like kinda hipster and her brothers totally quit and she needed someone to fill in. I needed a job so it was a lifesaver really, and I love working there.”

“Roman and Neptune? They work for me. They’re really good kids. I own the flower shop that supplies the Roses for your cousin.”

“Huh, never would have thought. My cousins love you man. You should come by the coffee shop sometime, my cousin who owns it, is dying to meet you.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer. I’m Leandro.”

“Liam, and I hope you do.”

Sure enough next Friday, he pulled up to the beach at 5 in the morning. That was all it had taken for a routine to set into my life. Fridays with Liam, Saturdays with them all (minus Roman because that kid treated water like a cat), Sundays and Thursdays for Heli, Mondays for Allie, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Eden and Alex.

Eden and her girlfriend, Alex, were also wicked. They had grown up as islanders and treated each wave like a homecoming. Together they had owned the art gallery next door called, Malibu’s View. Eden specialized in watercolor and landscape, each project a taste of heaven, while Alex was all bold lines and spilled ink. Alex’s work was super fucking awesome in an intimidating way. 

While Eden dressed like her paintings, strawberry blonde hair, warm brown eyes, freckled kissed cheeks, all wrapped up in floral dresses, Alex wore ripped jeans paired with a black sweatshirt. Her hair was worn in a sharp cut bob that framed her pale features. She could win an award for most likely to fuck shit up. Probably also one for wearing the same shirt the most days in a row. 

If anything my surf schedule was pretty fuckin’ nice. People joined in a lot also, but they never tried to get close to me. To pass off the altean marks as tattoos and blend in as a typical human, I had gotten a fair amount of ink carving my skin. The tattoo shop next door gave me no problem solving that issue. I frequented, The Pen, enough for their tattoo artists to be on speed dial at this point. 

Despite my need to be super badass, most of the pieces of work on my body were flowers. At first they were for Allura, flowers to mourn, flowers for Altea and everything she loved, but slowly they became mine. 

___

Liam and I made our way across the sand in silence. The sky had just started gradienting to a dark murky pink. Heli ran towards the shore like the big loaf of love he truly was, as I closed my eyes and took in the sounds, the smells. Malibu could be so fuckin’ worth it at times. The prick of anxiety wrapped it’s way around my body, but for once since those stupid texts, it didn’t feel all consuming. His space family was coming to his house. At some point today. That was actually happening.

As Liam and I sunk into the shore, Heli secured his spot on my board. We paddled out, past the break. I spent the next couple of hours diving down to collect sand dollars and interested shells, the seals were out at this time of day too. Around 7am or so Liam asked if he could go back to mine and take a shower before heading to the cafe. I grunted and resolved to stay out for another hour or so, Roman was opening the shop today due to summer break, and so I didn’t really have to be their until 11am or so.

Ever since the break had started they had just texted me when they were available to make a loose schedule. Money hadn’t really mattered to me because the the governments paladin paycheck, so Roman and Neptune’s salary was never a concern for me. 

I ran my fingertips through the cool water, while the sun had finally risen a bit higher into the sky. I concentrated on each pulse the ocean sung until a tingling made its way across my cheekbones. Lifting my fingers was a shocking sight. Each molecule of water I had invision was following the movements of my hand. Concentrating harder left more of the ocean to follow my demand. Which was a bit shocking if anything. Me capsizing quickly into the water, spluttering with Heli over whatever the fuck had just happened felt justified.

Like I knew that magic was a possibility, but it had been a fucking year. Where was magic when I had cried myself to sleep. Why didn’t my tears chase the tips of my fingers then? 

Yet like a flood opening, there it was, pouring into every inch of my being. A power I had never felt before graced my soul. I could feel it licking at my wounds, pulling at my heartstrings. A calm wave of love coated my essence. It wasn’t something I could unsee, something I could unfeel. 

Making my way through the ocean was a new type of nice. Today wasn’t the day for this though. So I pushed back the fear and the excitement until it was just Heli, my Surfboard, and me crossing the warming grains of sand. My hand shoved a worn key through the lock of my glass door. Following me, Heli licked at my heels as we made our way through my house, towards my room.

“Yo Liam! Are you still here or did you go to the cafe?”, I shouted. Making my way towards the living room, which had left me feeling off. It was vaguely the feeling of being watched, except not? Heli whined at my heels, trotting closer. “Liam?”

“Uh, over here,”

He sounded disgruntled. Maybe a bit shocked even, which did nothing to cure my worry. I hurried up my pace as my new found power wrapped itself around my fingertips. At least I have an advantage if an intruder was here, I thought.

Once I caught sight of Liam, I was exponentially more confused. He stood in the center of the room clutching the blue towel, desperately clinging to his wet skin. He seemed fine though, ultimately unhurt, definitely bothered by something but that something was not a knife. Which was about as good as news got for me. 

“Oh my god, you baby, why’d you worry me?”, I nearly shouted. Something didn’t feel right. As my gaze anxiously tried to reach his pale eyes, his own ghosted over my head.

“Lia-”, I started, head shifting towards whatever his blank stare was subjected to. My heart screeched to a stop as the cool powers blanketing my essence pulsed like the ocean. 

There they were. His family. In a room with his very much so undressed friend. In his house. 

Fucking silent.

“Uh Hey Lance,”, Keith mumbled, eyes searching through him for answers. At least they were until Liam opened his mouth,

“Who’s Lance?”


	4. daffodils stand for happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductions are made, Lance and Shiro visit the shop

Silence.

“It’s a nickname, Liam.”

I swallowed, turning my head back to him. Nervously scratching my back I said, “Hey um, I’ll see you at the cafe later, okay? Sorry to cut this short, I don’t think I’m opening the shop today.”

“Are you sure, Roman said he was opening. Neptune could probs cover the later shift…”

“Yeah, I’ll text them I guess. I have to figure a couple of things out first, sorry. I’ll explain everything later.”

As I resolved to explain things to the paladins promptly, I felt a pair of large arms pulling me back into their chest. Liam.

“Are you okay, Leandro?”, he whispered.

“I will be. Thanks Liam.”

And like a bucket of cold water pouring down on my head, his arms released me, and I was left alone in my living room with the them. I shifted my magic to find Liam’s essence making its way to the garage. Lifting my gaze, I saw them all looking at me with open curious gazes. Heli whined at my heel - reminding me he had yet to be fed.

“Um - I have to feed him, so you guys can follow me to the kitchen. Do you guys know how long you’re staying? I have 3 guest bedrooms.” 

I spoke as they followed me, hesitantly to my kitchen. Going through the Heli’s breakfast routine, meant not making any more awkward eye contact. Cuz this was definitely awkward. Like WoW.

Shiro was the first to speak.

“A month maybe - if that’s okay with you?”, his eyebrows scrunch at the end of his sentence. Behind Shiro, Matt’s analytical gaze swept across my features. This was all pretty surreal to be honest, a part of me had always thought that was it, their story together had come an end. Guess not.

Cosmo, Keith’s space wolf, approached Heli. They both nudged each others necks gently. Heli was almost done with breakfast, but he picked up the last bit on his plate and dropped it in front of Cosmo. Cosmo ate it quickly, his tail wagging with ease.

“Heli - show Cosmo your bed, I’m sure he’s had a long journey.”

I bent down to run my hand through Heli’s fur. He licked a thick swipe of tongue across my cheekbone before trotting off with Cosmo at his side.

“Uh - yeah totally fine. I work everyday but Monday, but typically I’m fairly free if you need anything. Did you guys have plans or-?”

“We came for you, idiot.”, Pidge said.

“Yeah I uh guessed that part, Okay so Matt and Shiro can have the guest bedroom on the top floor across from the masters, erm, Rom, Pidge, you can have the downstairs bedroom. Hunk and Shay can take the one on this floor. Krolia and Keith can take my room and Coran, would the couch be fine with you, sorry.”

“Why would we take your bedroom? Where are you to sleep?”, Krolia spoke. Honestly it was easier to focus on one of them at a time for now. Focus okay.

“I have an outdoor sleeping area with like heat and stuff and I like it out their more anyways - so yeah? Umm you’re welcome to anything, mi casa es su casa and all that. I’m gonna go to the cafe to pick up some breakfast? Yeah. Just text me what you need I guess.”

Now to back away slowly, I thought. Yup great that went amazing they don’t hate me. Is it awkward, hell to the yeah, but am I unscathed? Yup!

Before I had made it to my car, a felt a presents creeping up behind me. Shiro. “What’s up man?”, I spoke without turning around. He didn’t seem to question my semi-omniscience. 

“I’m going to go to the cafe with you, it’s been awhile since I’ve had an actual latte from Earth. As long as that flies with you?”

“Fly,”, I snorted, “Yeah that flies with me.” 

Pulling out of the garage with Shiro was oddly reminiscent. Silence was broken fairly quickly though.

“So Lance, Leandro?”

“Oh it’s my real name, applying to the garrison meant using a whiter name I guess. It’s easier to get in with a white name, I had been told at least. I’m comfortable with either, just haven’t heard Lance in a while.”

He released a pent of sigh. For all the leaderly qualities and politeness Shiro extruded, he could really be a dramatic bitch.

“What have you been up to Lance, nobody has heard from you in a year. Marco says you’re doing well, but everyone couldn’t help but ask, if you’re really doing so well then why aren’t you talking to us?”

“Malibu is so utterly different than anything before, Shiro. And that’s saying something because of all the alien planets we’ve visited - this one is the most bizzare. There’s no life or death here. No overwhelming doom I have to fight. No Allura, laced in every corner of the Atlas. I guess I just needed a taste of something mine for a bit.” 

“We’re not mad or anything Lance, we just hate that you’ve shut us out entirely.”

I paused for a moment, collecting myself.

“Wanna see something?”

The edges of his once tight smile relaxed. He gave a slow nod as the tension seemed to alleviate. I pulled the car in front of the flower shop. From the outside I could see Roman rapidly talking to his brother, a wide smile scrunching his face into utter joy and excitement. It wasn’t until I had opened the door that I was graced with said joys causation. A small ding alerted the boys to my presence, I could feel Shiro tense behind me. Both of their heads swiveled immediately.

“Leandro! Guess what! I saw a mermaid this morning, no wait stop laughing Neptune, SHUT up, okay I swear to god, I saw a mermaid. So this morning I was out at the break of dawn or whatever and the waves were glistening and I saw her sitting on the rocks!”

Before I could return his crazy excitement, Neptune interrupted me.

“No No No, he saw a seal. Leandro don’t humor him! I swear to god it’s all I’ve heard all morning, Neptune I swear to god blah blah blah, no.” 

Unsure of what Shiro had thought of the display, my eyes caught his.

“Leandro, who’s the robot beefcake?”, Roman taunted. 

“Old friend, he’s staying with me for a month, I’ll be back around noon to take over the afternoon shift, just showing him the shop.”

“This is yours?”, Shiro questioned. I made a humming noise as my gaze swept across the shops interior. Vibrant flowers bruising every empty space, light shining through the sweeping windows, a view of the sparkly ocean and my 2 pseudo younger brother, I had no complaints. Letting Shiro take it in for another moment, my gaze crossed Neptune’s with a smirk. He slightly frowned, definitely aware I was going to egg on his brother a bit.

“Hey, Roman, I’ve met mermaid before. In fact I kissed one too.” 

Turning on my heel, I pulled Shiro out the door with me. Not before hearing Roman squawk something about the travesties of life and what not.

“They remind me of Keith when he was little,”, Shiro had a kind smile grazing his features, “I can see why you keep them around.”

“They’re good kids. Roman is a lot like me I guess, like yeah he listens to mcr and wears too much eyeliner sometimes, but he’s so full of life? Like the world pours through his eyes, and he’s so fucking expressive sometimes. He surfs with Liam and I a lot, at first he reminded me of Keith and my little brother, but most of the time he reminds me of, well, me when I was his age. 

And Neptune is hilarious. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone kinder though. He acts like he’s all rough edges but he volunteers at the rescue I got Heli, and like, that kid would do anything to make Roman happy. Anyone happy really. He’s kinda like a cat, hates the water, acts like he hates you, appears independent, but he’s sweet. I wish he wasn’t so stressed out all the time.

They really seem to like working at the shop though, they used to work at Beans & Roses, but damn they’re total plant nerds. Rival me when it comes to bouquets and arrangements too. Their sister Venus is great also. You’ll like her. I know Liam is working right now but she might be too.”

“I’d like to meet your friends, Leandro,”

____  
CHAT LOG - PRIVATE GROUP CHAT

Pidgey, MATHEMATICS HOLT, Dad, HunkofLove, RoM, CoranTGM, SHAY-meless, KROLIA, BlckPldn

What the fuck is up with Lance

Pidgey: What tf just happened?

HunkofLove: Is it just me or does he look like a completely different person?

KROLIA: Is this the correct address?

BlckPldn: Did anyone notice the tattoos? He had tattoos right? And who was the guy, Liam???

Pidgey: Why, jealous ;)

BlckPldn: No, the blue hair is stupid tho, lance could do better

SHAY-meless: Liam? He was the attractive one with the beautiful eyes, no?

MATHEMATICS HOLT: no that was lance ;)

BlckPldn: ?????

Dad: I’m out with him at the cafe right now

HunkofLove: How is he?? Is he good?? What did you guys do??

Dad: We talked for a bit, he owns this gorgeous flower shop and is friends with practically everyone. He has these 2 workers, Neptune and Roman, and they’re like kid versions of Keith it’s hilarious. 

Dad: We stopped at the tattoo shop on the way, he said he was going on Sunday to get some now ink and wanted to know if anyone was down?

BlckPldn: I am.

HunkofLove: I’ll pass

Pidgey: lol I’m with Hunk 

Dad: That’s what I thought. Anyways I think he’s good. He seems not sad.

BlckPldn: Like not sad, I’m hiding it or Not Sad, I’ve come to terms with my feelings?

Dad: The second, like I know we wanted to give him hell for shutting us out, but it seems to have done him good.

Dad: He wanted to know how Heli is

RoM: omg Heli and Cosmo are cuddling Keith rn

RoM: attachedimage.jpg

CoranTGM: Hunk, Shay and I are heading to the beach if anyone needs us, going to Shred The Gnar as the locals say

Pidgey: *shudders* pls don’t

MATHEMATICS HOLT: Katie and I are going to explore the town a bit

Dad: Sure, we’re on our way back 

Dad: leandrointhesunlightwithcoffee.jpg

BlckPldn: He looks really happy

Dad: Yeah, I think he is


	5. dark centered poppies stand for magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance talk

I had managed to avoid them for the rest of the day. After dropping Shiro back and picking up Heli, I spent the rest of the afternoon at my shop. As the sunlight bled into darkness I resolved to close and head home. 

Most of my thoughts had been consumed with my new awoken power. While physically it seemed to resemble a fluid plasma, bending at my will, breathing life in vibrant shades of blue, emotionally it shook like water. Calling upon the power felt like waking up from a long nap - like even before Allura had graced me with the crescent moons framing my eyes, it had belonged to me. This wasn’t the type of thing to be advertising to the paladins, seeing as I could barely hold half a conversation with Shiro. 

Before I stepped back into the walls confining me with their familiar faces, I decided to visit the shore again. Time seemed to sway with me for a moment. Reaching the shore only meant craving going further. Deeper. I don’t even think I could drown if I tried anymore. My gaze unfocused until all that laid before me was deep shades of navy and violet. The light raining down on the oceans sparked brilliant whites upon the surface.

“Why didn’t you tell me your real name was Leandro?”

I turned my head to face an anxious Keith. He sat on a mound of white sand behind me. His countenance wilted under my curious gaze.

“Come again?”, I asked.

“Why Lance and not Leandro? Why Leandro now?”

“Lance was... who I needed to be, Leandro was who I was born as.”

“So Liam doesn’t need you to be Lance?”

“I don’t think Liam needs anything from me.”

Each syllable was laced with truth. The people here liked me, they spent time with me, but I wasn’t imperative to anyone’s life. Not in the way I used to be as a paladin. I think I prefered that in a sense, like I can fuck up my life as much as I need to and I won’t have to wake up to mourn my mistakes.

“We’re not romantically involved if that’s what your trying to ask.”

“Why would you assume that’s what I wanted from you?”

“What do you want from me, Keith?”, I spoke the last part almost silently, “What do all of you want?”

“Mostly to make sure you’re okay. We miss Earth sometimes too. And Kaltenecker of course. Most... mostly we miss you Lance, Leandro...who ever you decide to be.”

He took a deep breath.

“Want to go in the water with me?”, while I was definitely misdirecting his previous statement - I really did want to go into the water with him. The water was a conductor for me, an extension of my soul. With magic or without - the water called to me.

Wordlessly I threw my shirt over my head and waded deeper into the ocean. Keith seemed to get the gist of my desire, as he parroted my actions.

As we pushed further into the ocean, the water started to shift around me. A bioluminescent glow pulsed through the spaces I touched, flowing and licking, all consuming my form. The crescents on my cheeks glowed a brilliant white, soft blues teasing the edges. My tattoos took on a similar aesthetic, lighting up like the neon signs in Hollywood. 

I could breath deep, feeling the tendrils of the water tugging at my heartstrings. That water sang of life and love, of loss. Unaware to Keith’s turmoil I turned around.

He was older than when I had last really looked at him. The year we hadn’t spoken seemed to grace him with a new form of calm, of ease in self. His hair had grown substantially, what had used to have been a mullet of sorts was now midlength hair tied up in a bun. All of the silliness that Neptune and Roman possessed, that he had used to possess, seemed to have simmered into duty. The man could used a good masuse. Eyes reflecting the lavender I grew, pouring their consciousness into me, he unabashedly started. My magic pulsed out to him, wrapping him in the comfortable heart beat of the ocean, of me. Like washing a car left in the desert, all the grime he was wrapped up in seemed to float away. He looked calm.

“Are you happy with the Blade?”, I asked slowly, drawing out each word with curiosity.

“Most of the time. The Blade has changed a lot, for the better I mean but, yeah it’s changed a lot. Everything has.”

“Maybe not everything.”

“No?”

“When she first left, I wasn’t allowed to be angry, not really at least. Like she left to save everyone, what type of jerk would be pissed off about that...but it was more me resenting the universe for giving me a taste of my dreams and then spitting it back out at me. Allura wasn’t just Allura to me, ya know? She was magic, life, love, everything, and she took a lot of it with her when she left.

“You seem to have magic now though, right? I mean I knew we knew it was a possibility, and the love thing you seem to have figured out.”

“Liam’s girlfriend and I surf every Monday. And then these 2 lesbians who own the gallery next door, are on the waves with me Tuesday, Wednesday. Liam and Heli and the twins take up the rest of the days. It’s not like I’m alone out here. I was in the beginning. I don’t have a soulmate or partner, someone to share the road I walk anymore. Or ever to be honest. I’m more of a follower, I guess.”

“You’re a follower? Lance you’re too stubborn, too self assured. You would make a great leader. I know when I first started out you led with me, and I would have fucked everything up so much more without you.”

“You’re so wrong though. I followed my sister to the garrison, I was terrified of being left by her in Cuba while she went on some great adventure. The first “Romantic” thing I told Allura is that I would follow her wherever she led me. This whole thing started because I wanted to follow you, you know that right?

I sat on top of a roof with Pidge and Hunk and they were going on about some alien mumbo jumbo and I’m glazed eyes not caring much until I see the back of your stupid head running through the desert, and I think to myself, look there’s Keith, time to follow him into the deepest pit of hell because where he goes I’m going.

I’ve always followed, my flower shop is the closest thing I’ve ever had to leading. I mean, I love it out here, I’m my own person. But when you say everything has changed? You’re wrong. Everything that matters is the same.”

“That’s not how I see things.”

“And how’s that? Keith Kogane, savior to all, Keith Kogane, star pilot, Keith Kogane, asshole I’ve followed to the universe and back, how do you see things?”

“Lance, you’re like the ocean, ya know. You’re this force to be reckoned with, and sure everyone affiliates you with beach days and happy freckled smiles, but there’s so much more. Like under the moonlight you’re an all consuming comfort, filling in all the empty spaces. Sometimes you’re the rage of the sea, the crashing waves set out for destruction. The ocean that causes shipwrecks, and people still say you’re beautiful. And sometimes everything is so cold it burns like a flame, yet there’s nothing more alluring than the passion of a such heat. So I think you’re selling yourself a bit short.”

“The ocean huh?”

“You seem to have an affinity for it after all.”

“Honestly this is all pretty knew to me.”

“Why haven’t you moved on, you don’t have to answer that I guess, but you could. She would have wanted you too.”

“Oh, at first it was like she was following me, like the marks on my skin had claimed me as her forever, like another person would ruin everything. I guess as time went on I felt less like that and more like I was waiting, like I had all the puzzle pieces and I was just waiting for them to fall into place.”

“You’re really different now, ya know. I kinda miss the flirty goofball.”

“Stick around long enough and you’ll see him again.”

“I would like that.”

“Yeah uh, I would too.”


	6. Friends

[Lance and Keith in the water](https://spiceytunafish.tumblr.com/image/181182757184)

Little portrait of his Malibu friends

[Lance's Friends](https://spiceytunafish.tumblr.com/image/181179706954)


	7. Azaleas Stand for Take Care of Yourself for Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance learns more about his powers and says goodbye to Allura, for one last time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and Kudos! I'll answer any questions you leave below.

I was coasting down the boardwalk with Heli to my left, a wooden longboard below my feet, and the wind whispering in my ear as the wheels screamed faster. Venice has always smelled like weed and frankincense, yet for once it wasn’t overpowering. The world embraced me in a warm sepia, the golden sun was raining down. Kids playing volleyball shouted and laughed, and my heart felt so incredibly full for a singular moment. 

Before I hit Washington Blvd, I noticed a glint in the Cold Stones display. 

Sure of my actions, I kicked up my board and gave a command for Heli to stay outside, a beast as big as him was never too hard to locate when he wandered off, but he tended to stick to his orders anyways. As I pushed through the windowed door, my heart shattered. Behind the counter, she was working. Unaware of my presence, she rang up the last customer before turning to me.

Her hair was the same precious shade of opal. Her eyes could still claim my whole being with the ease of a few words. A flash of recognition crossed between us as her calculating gaze found mine. For once the princess seamed filled with a curious amusement melting between confusement and profoundness. Obviously something about this experience was calling her attention. 

 

I cleared my throat. She leaned forwards as if to catch whatever honeyed words dripped from my tongue.

“Can I get a raspberry sorbet?”, I asked, voice full of wonder.

Her eyes peered back at mine before she turned to her manager to request her lunch break. Together we stepped back into the street, making our way towards the beach.

“So that’s what you visit the quintessence realm for - raspberry sorbet?”, she snorted.

I took a breath to continue the banter, seemingly ready to continue our conversation with ease, but with second thought with regard to the frequency I would be able to visit her, I found a more important thing to say.

“I missed you.”, I sighed. She abruptly stopped walking forward and with an unheard of level of fondness whispered back, “I missed you too.”

We continued walking towards the beach, past the basketball courts, through the tourists, down the abandoned pier, and sat down on a bench facing the endless sea.

“Am I dreaming? That’s the only explanation for all of this that I’ve come to. That or aliens . . .which is actually a possibility now that I think about it”, the strong facade I had worked to maintain crumbled like a house of cards in the breeze.

“You are asleep, but this isn’t a dream. Think of a reality in between realities, a convergence of time and space. Take that concept and elevate it, think of a glassed over universe inside of another, that’s where we are. Physically nothing has changed in your body from being here, all other regards can’t say the same.”

“Why now? Do you know how many nights I spent missing you? It felt like you had just moved cities or something for the first month, until you being gone set in and it felt more like my hand was somewhere in Germany but that was the only information given to me. And everytime I questioned anyone as to why the hell my hand was lost in fucking Germany, people, they just, laughed. Or sometimes gave me a sad smile. And it hurt so fucking much, ya know?

Romance or not, do you know how much you’ve meant to me since the beginning of all of this?”

“I….I know. You can only see me because you were ready to, I’m sorry Lance but this isn’t something that’s going to happen again, this is more of a tutorial menu of sorts.”

“Tutorial for what?”

“I guess, who you are now? I know that sounds rather cryptic, but I think the universe is giving you a bit of a break. I can help you with whatever you need while you’re here.”

“The universe giving me a break? Unlikely.” I mumbled before nearly shouting, “Are you happy here? Do you regret it? What’s happening to me? Sorry that was probably a lot, answer whatever.”

“Yes, no, it’s complicated.”

“Uncomplicate things for me then.”

“I gave you part of my life force when I sacrificed myself, and it physically manifested in the crescents by your cheeks. Typically they can manipulate elements you have close connections to, bond souls between destined lovers, create great energy, but there’s a certain amount of filling in the blanks for yourself. The life force that was once my own soul, is merely a reflection of yours due to the time it’s spent inside of you. Like energy can not be destroyed, only changed, so is the way of a life force. You’re powers are just an extension of yourself. That’s why they probably are just coming to light, they weren’t entirely you before.”

“What do you mean bond souls?”

“The physical manifestation of your powers presents itself as a plasmic light able to converse with other life forces. Life forces that possess true bonds, are capable of intertwining. It doesn’t have anything to do with intent really, it’s more of a chemical reaction.”

“I think I know what you mean.”

“I’m sure you do,”, she said with a knowing gleam in her eye.

“So is it just water that I can manipulate?”

“I suspect that is your main affinity, though it wouldn’t surprise me if you had command over light, you were red’s paladin for a while too.”

“And…. you’re not mad?”

Her eyebrows scrunched together.

“What’s there to be upset about?”

“Keith.”

“Awe, is this the part where you ask me for my blessing -” 

“Allura, no that’s no -”

“- because I approve. I understood that we were never destined souls when I met you Lance. It doesn’t mean I didn’t love you, or you love me. It just means that I had already met my destined, and after his death I accepted that I didn’t need the universe to permit me love again. Because I had you, and you had me, and chemical reactions can go shove it. We were more than all that, Lance. You meant more to me. Lotor and you are a different type of Love for me.”

“Lotor?”

“ The world has a funny way of working out doesn’t it?”

“What do you mean your love was different?”

“Well, loving you was like a Spa day, like I could fall and you could catch me, like no matter what I did it was enough for you to love me. And Lotor, Lotor was like being caught in rainstorm. He was fire and passion, and getting burned. He was a risk. The soul bond wasn’t what made me love Lotor, it was knowing that there was someone out there who burned like me.”

Her gaze glazed over, unshed tears were bunching at the bottom of her eyelashes. Before I could interrupt she spoke one last sentence before the dam of water she was holding in, bursted.

“I thought he would be here when I left, I’m so sorry Lance, I left for the universe as much as I did it for me.”, and with that she poured. The ugly crying type of wails. Knowing that she needed support, I wrapped my arms around her and swayed back in forth, singing a song my momma sang when I was a child.

We stayed like that for maybe an hour soaking in each other’s presence for one last time. It had never felt like a true goodbye between Allura and I, until now. Before long the crowd cleared, and the sun was drowned out by thick smoggy rain clouds. 

And when the first drop hit my cheek, I knew I had to leave. Her fingers tugged at my cheeks, reassuring me that all would be okay. That we were okay.

I closed my eyes as I leaned down to press my chilled lips on her forehead, for one last time. I felt her give me her last smile as we bundled close. In return, I gave her everything she meant to me, in that one touch.

And when I opened my eyes, the sun was rising on my Malibu home. At the foot of my beachside couch, Heli was letting out soft snores. From inside I heard my name called by Liam and Roman, ready for their Saturday morning on the surf.

I pushed up on my forearms to watch them pour out of his Jeep, with their freshly waxed boards and joyful smiles. The memory of Allura and I’s last moments together was still fresh in my mind.

 

I knew today was going to change everything.


End file.
